There are so many St. Augustine FL family activities it will be hard to choose. We spent a week in St. Augustine but only visited the city for 3 days. Most of our time was spent with our family who came down to visit us for the weekend.
We spent nearly all of our time downtown wandering around seeing the history.
If you have time to visit this oldie but goody you should definitely stop in. Even for just a day.
Now I will warn you… it was quite busy and my family that happens to live there tell me that its never not busy. It’s within driving distance for a lot of people to make it a weekend trip.
Keep that in mind when you go so you’re not taken back with crowds.
So why don’t we dig into what to do in St. Augustine when you have a couple days to explore.
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Things To Do in St. Augustine
Castillo de San Marcos
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You can’t go to this city and not see Fort San de Castillo de San Marcos. This fort was built by the Spanish and completed in 1695. The walls are made from coquina which is a mixture of sand and shells. This mixture would take years to cure so you can imagine how long it would have taken.
We have visited quite a number of forts so far and this one was by far the oldest. You get inside and you can see the beauty in what they were building.
The kids really liked looking over the top of the walls. They especially enjoyed climbing into the towers to peek out of the gun holes.
Price: 16+ $15 & children are free (certain passes allow you in for free)
Hours: 9-5
Website: https://www.nps.gov/casa
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Mueseum
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Honestly, you have to go here even if you have small kids. The climb to the top was fabulous (at least for people who aren’t bothered by heights). I loved every minute of it. The view from the top is out of this world and if you need a break as you ascend to the top there are signs on the walls where you can read about the history there.
If you do happen to have small kids that can’t go then one parent will get half off their admission!
The kids will love the lighthouse keepers house and the pirate ship!
Quite possibly the best part about this place was the free parking.
Price: Adults $12.95, Children (over 44” tall) $10.95
Parents with children under 44” tall will get a half priced admission ticket
Hours: 9-7
Website: http://www.staugustinelighthouse.org
Flagler College
Flagler College Courtyard
Man oh man this college was breathtaking. They have over $30 million in Tiffany stained glass. It’s quite a sight to see and will leave you wanting to break the rules and go off wandering around the halls of this majestic place.
Henry Flagler had this constructed in (DATE) as a hotel and it was a big part of why St. Augustine was a great destination even then. This hotel drew tourists from all over.
You can go inside the college into what was the lobby of the hotel. The great stairs make you feel like you are transported back in time.
The ceiling and floors as well as the carved oak are magnificent. If you have a moment go check this out.
Price: Free!
Cathedral Basilica St. Augustine
Cathedra Basilica of St. Augustine
We have an affinity for churches and this is by far one of the most stunning pieces of architecture built.
You walk in and immediately feel this rush of peace wash over your whole body. Even our children went from acting like maniacs to absolute angels. I was brought to tears by the pure beauty in the detail of every corner.
Price: Free!
Walk Around Downtown
You will be right downtown so you definitely need to wander around a bit. There’s a square right out in front of the church with a pavilion that was once the place where there was a watch tower. It was eventually a place where slaves were sold along with a market and many other uses.
There is an old well that your kids might just enjoy learning about as well as some other war landmarks. It’s shaded by huge trees that are so old with the beautiful Spanish moss hanging low.
While you’re walking head over to the Lightner Museum and walk around in the courtyard.
Lightner Museum Courtyard
The kids loved feeding the coy fish.
Head out to Anastasia State Park
This state park has some amazing camping if you can get a reservation and they have a beautiful clean beach that isn’t as crowded.
It’s worth it for a day if you’re wanting to get away from the busy downtown area. They have some hiking trails as well.
Pirate Museum
If you want to check out the pirate history of St. Augustine the pirate museum has a lot of history including some well known pirate memorabilia. They have real pirate treasure here so if your kids love might just want to move here.
Price: Adults $14.99 & Children 5-12 years $7.99
Hours: 10-7
Website: http://thepiratemuseum.com/
Honorable Mentions
If you like more touristy things you will find some enjoyment in some of the following:
- Lightener Museum
- Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
- Trolley Tours
- Ghost Tours
- Old Jail
- St. Augustine Wild Reserve
Related: Jupiter Florida Travel Guide: Where to Stay & Things to Do!
Places to Eat in St. Augustine
We try not to eat out a whole lot because the price of food in restaurants is horrendous. But we always like to try a few different things in a new city.
First we always try the coffee, we usually eat lunch or dinner once and find ice cream or breakfast.
These are the places we tried out and we were impressed by each.
Mojo Old City BBQ
This joint was huge inside and the food was just delicious. Not to mention the prices were really fair.
We ordered the usual pulled pork sandwiches and the kids shared a kids meal which was smoked turkey. It was really tasty and their house bbq sauce was mouthwatering delicious.
There was enough food on my one plate to feed myself and both kids. I got a heaping pile of pork and 2 sides which was more than enough food.
Website: https://mojobbq.com/locations/mojo-old-city-bbq/
Location: 5 Cordova Street St. Augustine, FL 32084
Choco Lattes
We had to stop and try the local coffee at least once while we were there. This place is hidden on a side street and we just happened to walk past it. The inside is adorable and it’s a perfect place to sit with your kids to take a break. They have a shelf of games for kids to sit and play while you enjoy a coffee break.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ChocoLattes47/
Location: 47 Cordova St Saint Augustine, Florida 32084
Chocco Lattes in St. Augustine
Mayday Ice Cream
You can visit St. Augustine on the first day of summer and not get ice cream. This was the only ice cream place we could find with indoor seating.
While the ice cream was a bit pricey it was nice to sit in the a/c for a while and let the kids cool off.
Website: https://www.maydayicecream.com/
Location: 1835 US-1 Suite 127, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Parking
Parking is something you need to be prepared for when you visit this city. It’s pay to park everywhere and the cheapest lot we could find with space was actually the parking garage. They charge a flat $15 per day but if you leave you have to pay that fee again. So if you are going to drive into the city and explore around I would suggest keeping in mind the parking situation.
St. Augustine was a lot of fun. Our family from Missouri came down to visit for a weekend and we got to visit with my family that lives there.
There is a lot of history to see in this beautiful place and if you have the opportunity to stop in even for a few days you should take the chance! There are plenty of St Augustine FL family activities that you will never be bored!
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